Panspermia: Meteors and Spores to the Fore
What is the evidence for the controversial theory of panspermia? Could simple forms of life really survive in outer space?
Astronomy
NASA’s Airborn Observatory SOFIA Makes Its Way to South America to Study Nearby Galaxies
NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is equipped for scanning the South American skies with a reflecting telescope mounted aboard a Boeing 747SP.
NASA’s Roman Telescope to Directly Image Exoplanets
Program Will Narrow Gap to Directly Imaging Earthlike Exoplanets
Program Will Narrow Gap to Directly Imaging Earthlike Exoplanets
NASA is currently building the Nancy Grace Roman space telescope in hopes of directly imaging smaller and fainter exoplanets.
NASA Funds Next Phase of Exoplanet Hunting Starshade
NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program has granted new funding to develop a working orbital starshade.
Complex Organic Molecules Found within Planetary Disc
Discovery Will Help the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Discovery Will Help the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Astronomers have detected the complex organic molecules dimethyl ether and methyl formate within a star’s planetary-forming disc.
Tech Talk Episode 4: Space Telescopes
In this episode of The Debrief’s Tech Talk, we look at 54 years of science since the launch of the first space telescope in 1968.
The Search for ET: What Do the Best Scientists in the Milky Way Know?
An encounter with an ET culture would be a humbling experience, since we will have to admit that our modern science was developed only over the past century out of the 4.5-billion-years-long history of Earth.
Tatooine-Like Exoplanet Confirmed
Discovery Expected to Aid the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Discovery Expected to Aid the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Astronomers have confirmed an exoplanet orbiting two suns similar to Luke Skywalker’s fictional home Tatooine in the 1977 movie Star Wars.
The Milky-Way’s Gifts to Life Expectancy
We live in the gravitational potential well of the Milky Way galaxy, and therefore we age more slowly than the cosmos at large. By how much?
Mind the Gap: A Lesson in Cosmic Stoicism
If human beings ever locate and interact with an extraterrestrial civilization, how will we play 'realpolitik' with them?
Evidence of Habitable Zone Planet Found Lurking in Orbit Around White Dwarf
Researchers studying a white dwarf star say they have detected signs of a possible planet orbiting within the star’s habitable zone.
Newly Discovered Trojan Asteroid Has Same Orbit as Earth
Rare Space Rock Could Service Future Deep Space Missions
Rare Space Rock Could Service Future Deep Space Missions
Physicists have discovered a Trojan asteroid orbiting the Sun at the same distance as Earth, only the second such space body discovered.
Mysterious 18-minute Radio Pulses Are Not from “Little Green Men”
On January 26, 2022, a group of astronomers authored a report about mysterious radio pulses repeating periodically every 18.18 minutes from a source in the sky labeled GLEAM-X.
New Planet Found Orbiting Proxima Centauri
Scientists have detected signs of a third planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, which is Earth’s closest stellar neighbor.
Stellar Engines: As Galaxies Emit Light, Their Expansion Reveals a Unique Phenomenon
Our observation of the behavior of galaxies reveals phenomena that have received surprisingly little attention in the scientific literature.
AI: Intelligent Adaptation, or Barbarian Duplication?
Once we begin sending our assets to other planets, what should be our goal? There are two basic choices: AI, or the way of the barbarian.
Exoplanet Atmosphere Mapped by Researchers
Results Will Help Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Results Will Help Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Researchers have created a three-dimensional map of the atmosphere of an exoplanet 322 light-years from Earth. The resulting 3D map of the swirling gases surrounding the Jupiter-like exoplanet is not only an astronomical first, but it should also help inform...
“Ghosts” of the Early Universe Reveal Clues, and Controversies, About the Formation of Galaxies
Astronomers have learned surprising things from the oldest and most distant galaxies in our universe, a search that has also led to a few controversies.
Are Earthlike Planets Plentiful Throughout the Milky Way?
Earthlike planets, which might have features like continents and liquid water on their surface, may be plentiful across the Milky Way galaxy.
“Death Star” Moon Mimas May Have a Subsurface Ocean
Saturn’s moon Mimas, sometimes called the Death Star moon, may have a subsurface ocean capable of supporting extraterrestrial life.
The James Webb Space Telescope Has Just Reached its New Home in Space
The James Webb Space Telescope will soon begin its long-anticipated mission of peering more deeply into the history of space than any telescope has ever done.
Mars May Have Had an Ocean Three Billion Years Ago
New research indicates Mars may have had a liquid ocean on its surface 3 billion years ago even if the surface temperature was freezing. Furthermore, the researchers behind the study say that such an ocean may have been able to...
Astronomers Spot Second Ever Exomoon Candidate
Discovery May Mean Exomoons are Common, Increasing the Odds of Extraterrestrial Life.
Discovery May Mean Exomoons are Common, Increasing the Odds of Extraterrestrial Life.
Astronomers studying a huge, Jupiter-like exoplanet say they have successfully detected a moon in its orbit. Although this is only the second such “exomoon” spotted thus far, the location and overall circumstances of the find supports the idea that exomoons...
China’s Tianwen 1 Uses Second Spacecraft to Take Selfie
After hanging around the Martian orbit for nearly a full calendar year, China’s Tianwen 1 spacecraft launched a tiny secondary spacecraft to take some pictures. As a result, the Chinese National Space Agency (CNSA) released some of those pictures on...
Are Plumes on Enceladus from Underground Oceans?
Plumes of steam that erupt from the surface of Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus may not actually prove the existence of an underground ocean. Most theories indicate these oceans do exist, but a new study proposes an alternate cause for the...
Tracking James Webb Telescope in Real Time
Curious viewers can track the progress of the James Webb telescope in real time, thanks to a new, dedicated YouTube channel. Launched a day after the telescope itself, the channel charts the current position of the groundbreaking space observatory, its...
Don’t Look Up: When Asteroids Attack
While it seems unlikely our world will end anytime soon with a giant asteroid collision, Netflix's "Don't Look Up" raises relevant questions about asteroids and their place in our galaxy.
NASA Releases James Webb “Official Mission Trailer” Video
NASA has released an “Official Mission Trailer” video to promote the planned Christmas Day launch of the James Webb Telescope. Presented like a trailer for a blockbuster film, the 87 second video offers an exciting glimpse into the mission many...
70 New Rogue Exoplanets Spotted by Astronomers
70 rogue exoplanets, or planets not bound to a host star, have been discovered wandering through the Milky Way galaxy. Described as a “breakthrough discovery,” the newly identified rogue exoplanets could help researchers better understand how these space bodies develop...
NASA Releases Eerie Audio from Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede
NASA has released a new audio recording of Ganymede, one of Jupiter’s moons, which was captured by the Juno mission as the spacecraft flew within 645 miles of the moon’s surface. Produced by the mission’s WAVES instrument, which typically tunes...
Could Black Holes Account for ‘Missing’ Dark Matter?
A new study proposes that black holes formed at the dawn of time may actually account for all dark matter. This theory, the authors note, builds on previous work from Stephen Hawking performed in the 1970s, and may finally answer...
New ESA Video Shows James Webb Nearing Launch
A new video from the European Space Agency (ESA) reveals the final steps currently being taken to prepare the James Webb Telescope for it planned December 24th launch. Although the launch has been delayed a number of times already, the...
List of Confirmed Exoplanets Grows by 301
A recent analysis of previously recorded satellite data has added 301 new exoplanets to the continuously growing list. This latest addition comes as a result of a new deep neural network tool employed by NASA researchers that can distinguish the...
DART, NASA’s New Planetary Defense Mission, Has Launched Aboard a SpaceX Rocket
A mission to test technology that may one day be used to defend our planet against potentially deadly asteroids and other near-Earth objects was successfully launched on Wednesday, according to NASA.
Videos Show What Happens if You Enter a Black Hole
What happens when you enter a black hole? It is a question posed by scientists and science fiction writers alike, but not one that can be easily tested in the real world.
What the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope means for the Astronomy World
If all goes to plan, the James Webb Space Telescope is set to re-write everything we know about our place in the Universe.
NASA Anomaly Review Board Investigates “Incident” with the James Webb Space Telescope
The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope has been delayed after an "incident" that is currently under investigation, NASA officials say.
Most Rocky Exoplanets are Probably Nothing Like Earth
But They Are Still the Best Places to Search for Extraterrestrial Life
But They Are Still the Best Places to Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Rocky exoplanets are widely considered the best places to search for extraterrestrial life. However, a first of its kind study by a geologist and an astronomer has determined that the vast majority of these alien worlds are probably no place...
Near-earth asteroid may be broken off chunk of the moon
A team of astronomers believe that a near earth asteroid could actually be a lost fragment of Earth’s moon. Named Kamo’oalewa, the asteroid is between 150 and 190 feet in size, and regularly comes to within about 9 million miles...
Did An Ancient Comet Turn Chile’s Atacama Desert Into Glass?
Researchers from Brown University studying glass shards in the Atacama Desert of Chile have determined that it was almost surely caused by the explosion of a comet approximately 12,000 years ago. Specifically, the researchers indicate that the glassification of the...
Sadly, That Technosignature From Proxima Centauri Was a False Alarm
One of the strongest candidates to date for an alien technosignature most likely originated from a source much closer to home than Proxima Centauri, new research says.
We Might Be Able to Nuke an Asteroid to Save the World After All, Study Says
A recent study by a team of scientists says that under the right conditions, a nuclear blast actually could be used to save the Earth from an incoming asteroid.
Survival After Death: How a Dead Star is Showing Us the Future of Our Solar System
New research reveals that some solar systems around white dwarfs can survive the volatile period toward the end of a dying star's lifespan.
Something is Producing Radio Waves in the Heart of the Milky Way, and it Has Astronomers Baffled
Strange radio waves detected by astronomers in recent days have led some to believe that a hidden stellar object may be lurking near the center of the Milky Way.
Meteorite Slams Through the Roof of Canadian Woman’s Home, Landing on Her Pillow
A Canadian woman recently had a rude awakening as a meteorite tore through the ceiling of her home, covering her in debris and prompting a 911 call.
NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Zeros in On Mysterious Trojan Asteroid Swarms Following Jupiter
Lurking in orbit around our Sun and sharing a path with Jupiter are the mysterious Trojan asteroid swarms, which astronomers have now trained their sights on for future study.
New Discovery on the “Strangest Exoplanet Ever Found” Has Astronomers Puzzled
Astronomers have now detected clouds on a gas giant exoplanet nearly 520 light-years from Earth.
Unusual Sounds Produced by Bright Meteors Point to an Odd Acoustic Anomaly
Reports of odd sounds associated with bright meteors over the years point to a longstanding mystery of physics.
Shields Up! White Dwarf Stellar Winds May Serve as Planetary Defense Shields
New research suggests that stellar winds produced by white dwarf stars could serve as "defense shields" for potentially habitable planets.
Government UFO Data Should be Studied by Scientists, This Astronomer Says
Americans have been left wondering whether information the U.S. government is collecting on UFO incidents will be provided to scientists for independent evaluation.